Business operations came to a standstill in Migori town on Tuesday as residents protested against the hike in fuel prices.
Angry residents and motorists blocked the road at the Migori town bridge, disrupting the movement of trucks and lorries which transport goods to nearby Tanzania.
Armed police looked on helplessly as residents and motorists dared them to shoot in the air and lob tear gas canisters.
“We have been left alone by politicians and leaders as the cost of living has been going up. We will never relent until fuel prices are taken down,” Pascal Odongo, a pickup driver, said.
The demonstration started spontaneously when a truck transporting sand stopped in the middle of the bridge saying the customer who had requested for the commodity had suddenly changed his mind.
“We sell sand at Sh8,000 for a full lorry. For us to add the cost of fuel to make a profit, we told the customer to add Sh1,000, but he refused which we understood, so where was I to take the sand?,” John Alego, the lorry driver, said.
He said he refused a police order to move his lorry to ease traffic, and that is when other residents in support of his action shut off their engines and blocked the road.
“In town, the cheapest motorbike route takes Sh30, but with this fuel hike, we have to increase it to Sh5o which customers have refused to part with. I came here to stand in solidarity with other Kenyans,” Charles Owuor, a motorbike operator, said.
Residents said they were shocked that since the fuel prices were increased, no politician, either in government or opposition had come out to call for its reduction.
Migori town was the epicentre of violent demonstrations following the nullification of the August 2017 presidential elections in which Chief Justice David Maraga ordered a repeat poll.
“We are tired of dying and getting maimed in the streets during demonstrations called by politicians, especially after elections. The same politicians have left us on our own," another resident protested.
Earlier, the government through the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority increased the cost of petrol past the Sh130 per litre mark.
In Nairobi, a litre of petrol now retails at Sh134.72 from Sh127.14, while that of diesel has risen to Sh115.60 from Sh107.66 with kerosene costing Sh110.82 from Sh97.85.
The increased prices have been attributed to the high landing cost of the product.
Edited by Amol Awuor
